


Given Purpose and Destination

by misura



Category: Neverwhere - Neil Gaiman
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-28
Updated: 2017-05-28
Packaged: 2018-11-05 22:48:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 698
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11023209
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/misura/pseuds/misura
Summary: Richard wants something to do.





	Given Purpose and Destination

"Do?" the Marquis repeated, bestowing the sort of look upon him that Richard had decided to accept in the spirit it had not been offered. "Why, whatsoever you take it in your head to do, I rather imagine. Of course," the Marquis continued, "this may lead you to what some might consider an untimely and most would consider a grisly fate, but such is life. It tends to end, at one point or another."

"There must be _something_ ," Richard pressed, a little desperately.

"You are referring, I assume, to some noble quest, requiring a brave and dashing hero to undertake it in order to brighten the existence of all people good and kind." The Marquis looked thoughtful for a moment, or rather, Richard thought, the Marquis looked like someone who wished for his audience to believe that he looked thoughtful.

"Door says that I should just take it easy for now, but ... "

"Quite," the Marquis said, nodding understandingly. "To heed her words and do the logical, sensible thing? Impossible."

"It's not like that." Richard didn't think it was like that. Door was simply concerned for him. He appreciated that. Had she come to him and told him that she wished to go off on her own, he had no doubt whatsoever that he, too, would have been concerned.

"Still, you see the difficult position that you have put me in, I'm sure." The Marquis spread his hands. "In pleasing you, shall I give offense to the Lady Door? In _not_ pleasing you, shall I cause irreparable harm to the deep and loving friendship that exists between the two of us? It is a dilemma."

Richard wanted to say that it wasn't as serious as all that. Door would understand. "We're friends now?"

The Marquis looked faintly pained. "Of course not. What possible advantage would there be to me in such a thing? But it's not considered polite to say so."

"I don't think being friends with someone should be about whether or not being their friend will give you an advantage."

The Marquis shrugged, as if to say that was exactly the sort of thing he would expect Richard to say.

"And anyway, even if you don't, I do think we're friends. After all, we've been through a lot together," Richard said. "If you were ever in trouble, I would definitely do my best to help you."

"Then I am happy to know that such an event is unlikely to ever occur."

"And I think that if the situation were reversed, you would do the same for me."

"Naturally." The Marquis sighed wearily. "You are quite dear to the Lady Door, after all. Helping you would mean that she would owe me a favor. It is all very simple and not at all sentimental."

"Fine," Richard said. "So how's this? You tell me where I can find something useful and important to do, and then you come with me to keep me out of trouble. That way, you can't go wrong."

The Marquis considered. "Impossible as it sounds, I believe you may be overestimating my abilities. Granted, they are considerable, but even so. Some things are beyond even me."

"Well, then I suppose you're just going to have to do the best you can," Richard said.

"And for all of this, I imagine that you would owe me a favor." The Marquis sounded resigned. "One I am unlikely to collect, given the life expectancy of fools and heroes in these parts."

"No." Richard shook his head. "Not this time. I told you: we're friends. Friends don't need to owe each other to do things for one another. That's not how friendship works."

"In my admittedly limited experience, as a rule, friendship works only one way, and that is poorly."

"Shows what you know," Richard said.

"Mark my words, this will all end in tears," the Marquis said. "Not mine, it goes without saying. Still."

"So I'll pack a couple of spare handkerchiefs."

"If only all problems were so easily dealt with." The Marquis sighed. "Very well. Let us set out to do something foolish and vaguely suicidal that will do nobody any good whatsoever in the long run."


End file.
